barattolo

Barattolo is the Italian term for a sealed container used to store food and other small items. Typically made of glass or metal, a barattolo has a lid that forms an airtight seal to preserve contents. The word covers a range of containers, including jam jars, pickling jars, and general-purpose storage canisters, as well as non-edible containers such as paint cans or cosmetic jars when used for storage.

Design and variations: Common forms include glass jars with screw-on metal lids and clamp-style jars that use a gasket to seal, as well as metal tins and plastic containers. Barattoli vary in size from small 50–100 ml jars to several-liter canisters. They often feature wide mouths for easy filling and cleaning, and may include measurement marks or external labels.

Uses and meanings: In domestic cooking and food preservation, barattolo denotes jars used for canning fruits, vegetables, jams, sauces, and pantry staples. They are also used for storing dry goods such as coffee or pasta, or for non-food purposes like storing paints or cosmetics. In figurative speech, the term can refer to a piggy bank or savings jar.

Related terms include jar, canning jar, and storage container.